William Brailsford, Dr. James Troup
James Dent Plantation of McIntosh County
This rice plantation is located on Hwy 17 North (towards Darien), on the right-hand side of the road.
I visited this house and was amazed to see furniture which was so small that it looked like doll furniture. The family
members were scarcely five feet tall, and thus all the furnishings (which yet remain in the home, nothing has been
touched) reflect their needs. The narrow feather beds are fluffed up high, but very short in length, and chairs and
day couches are very low in height.
William Brailsford came to Georgia from Charleston, South Carolina in the early 1800's and purchased a parcel of land known as
Broadface, which he renamed
Broadfield. It was located on the tidal swamp of the Altamaha River.
William Brailsford came to Georgia from Charleston, South Carolina in the early 1800's and purchased a parcel of land known as
Broadface, which he renamed
Broadfield. It was located on the tidal swamp of the Altamaha River.
When William Brailsford died in 1810, his son-in-law,
Dr. James M. Troup assumed the management of the plantation in 1814 and purchased it in 1834. Dr. Troup also purchased
the adjoining tract called
New Hope. He died in 1840 in debt, and left his eldest son, D. H. B. Troup to
manage Broadfield Plantation. In 1856, it was divided into three parcels, Broadfield, East New York and
West New Hope (Hofwyl), and given to his sons and daughters. Dr. James M. Troup was a bank president, alderman, major and state Senator for McIntosh County. When he died, his estate had 7300 acres of land and 357 slaves, as well as homes in Darien
on Baisden's Bluff.
This
large rice plantation fell into disrepair when Ophelia and George Dent had to remove to a refugee camp in Waycross during the
War Between the States. After the war, the Dents gave up a large portion of the estate to pay back taxes. The plantation was renamed
Hofwyl-Broadfield. When their son,
James Dent, died in 1913, his son, Gratz Dent established a dairy which was operated until 1942 by his sisters, Miriam and
Ophelia Dent.
William Brailsford had a daughter, Camilla Brailsfield, who married Dr. James Troup.
